Refuse container support



United States Patent Ofice Patented Aug. 18, 1970 3,524,615 REFUSE CONTAINER SUPPORT Albert W. Beasley, 2136 W. Lindley, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73107 Filed May 2, 1968, Ser. No. 726,070 Int. Cl. B65f 3/04 US. Cl. 248145 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to container supports and more particularly to a mounting means for supporting a refuse container for pivoting movement of the refuse container in opposite directions.

Drive-in eating establishments are usually provided with a menu panel and a two-way communicating system mounted on a post-like support adjacent the drivers side of a car when parked at the drive-in eating establishment. However, so fas as I know, no means is at present provided for the disposal of waste material adjacent each parking position, such as paper containers or napkins used for dispensing the food to the customer. As a result, much of this discarded paper material is thrown on the ground or parking surface and blown by the wind creating a general unkept appearance of the grounds.

The patent to Brandstetter No. 1,961,922 and Rice No. 2,067,983 disclose supports for garbage receptacles positioned under a sink, or the like, which may bev rotated out from under the sink for receiving refuse. However, neither of these patents disclose a device which may be easily connected with an existing post-like support permitting limited pivoting movement of the refuse container toward and away from the user. Since available space is a prime consideration when arranging a disposal area for locating refuse disposal cans or receptacle in a drive-in eating establishment, it is desirable that the refuse receptacle be placed in a presently unused space position. Sufficient space is normally available below the position of the generally horizontally disposed menu box or sup porting panel. Accordingly, this invention provides a bracket assembly which may be connected with a menu box post-like support and includes a horizontally disposed refuse container support loop which is normay positioned horizontally below the menu box and may be pivoted laterally thereof for access to the refuse container to facilitate its removal for emptying and replacement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A bracket member partially surrounds and is clamped to a post-like support in spaced relation below the position of a conventional drive-in restaurant menu box.-T-he bracket includes laterally extending vertically spaced horizontal plates which are vertically apertured for journalling one leg of a right angular rotatable support. The vertically journalled leg has a square exterior surface, intermediate its ends, which is resiliently gripped by spring and bolt urged plates pivotally connected to the bracket. A horizontally disposed loop is connected by a tongue portion to the other leg of the rotatable support and is normally positioned below and intersects the vertical plane defined by the menu box. A conventional refuse container, preferably having a self closing lid, is removably supported by the loop. Thus, the loop and its refuse container may be pivoted laterally of the vertical plane defined by the menu box for removal and replacement of the container.

The principal object of this invention is to provide bracket means adapted to be connected with a post-like support for supporting a refuse can containing loop for pivotal movement in lateral directions about the vertical axis of the post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the device illustrating, by dotted lines, its position relative to a menu box and supporting post including a refuse container supported by the device;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional views, to a larger scale, partially in elevation, taken substantially along the lines 2-2 and 33, respectively, of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view, to a different scale, of the bracket means per se connected with a fragment of a post-like support.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates a conventional menu box or panel support usually rectangular in general configuration and longitudinally disposed horizontally, which is supported at a selected elevation above the surface of the earth, not shown, by an upright post or pipe -12.

The reference numeral 14 indicates the device, as a whole, comprising a bracket means 16 and refuse container support loop 18. The bracket means 16 comprises a relatively short section of a U-shaped channel member 20 having its legs 22 and 24 partially surrounding the post 12 with its bight portion 26 longitudinally contacting a peripheral portion of the post. Intermediate its ends the channel member 20 is provided with apertures 28, at the juncture of its legs with its bight portion, for removably receiving the bolt-like head portion of bar or clamp members 30 which project angularly around the post and channel legs 22 and 24 and are interconnected on that side of the post 12 opposite the channel member 20 by a bolt and nut 32 so that the bracket means 16 is secured to the post 12 against rotation about the circumferential surface of the post. A pair of plates 34 and 36 are horizontally connected in vertically spaced relation to the bight portion 26 of the channel member opposite the post 12. The plates 34 and 36 are line drilled vertically for journalling one leg 38 of a right angular rotatable support 40. Intermediate its ends and in that area between the plates 34 and '36, the surface of the leg 38 is deformed to form opposing flat surfaces defining a square in cross section, indicated at 42, and clearly shown in FIG. 3. A pair of strap-like arms 44 are horizontally positioned edgewise in face-to face contact with opposing surfaces of the square portion 42. Each of the arms 44 is provided with an L-shaped rodlike end portion 46 having the leg end 48 of each L-shaped portion and rotatably received by a pair of tubular sleeves or sockets 50 secured to the adjacent surface of the channel bight portion 26. The other or opposite end portions of the arms 44 are line drilled for receiving a shaft 52 having a nut adjacent each of its ends. A spring 54 is interposed between the respective nut and adjacent surface of the respective arm 44, thus permitting rotative movement of the support leg 38 wherein the arms 44, gripping the square portion 42, maintains the support leg 38 in 90 rotated positions in either direction from its solid line position (FIG. 2). A box-like housing 64, having one open side, surrounds and shields the plates 34 and 36 and is connected to the plate 34 by a bolt 66 secured thereto which projects outwardly through an aperture in the housing wall 64 for receiving a nut 68. The upper end portion of the housing 64, as viewed in FIG. 4, is provided with a slot 70 for receiving the support leg 38. A washer-like disk 72 is secured to the support leg 38 and overlies the upper end of the housing 64, in shielding relation, when connected to the bracket. The other leg or end portion of the support 40 is circumferentially reduced, as at 56, for telescopingl-y receiving one end of a tongue 58 connected at its other end to the loop 18. The tongue 58 is secured to the support 40 by a bolt 62. The loop 18 may be of any desired configuration for receiving a refuse container indicated by the dotted lines 60 (FIG. 1).

OPERATION In operation the bracket 16 is connected to the post 12 as described hereinaboverThe loop member 18 is connected to the post support arm 56 and the refuse container is positioned within its supporting loop 18. This permits a customer to easily place refuse within the container 60 while remaining seated in his vehicle, or, if desired, to pull the container toward him by the rotatable action of the support leg 38.

As shown by dotted lines in FIG. 3, the loop member 18 and its supporting container 60 may be rotated 90 out of the position of the menu box for removal and disposal of material within the container 60.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

Iclaim:

1. A refuse container holder for connection with a vertical support post, comprising: a mounting bracket having clamp means gripping said post, a pair of vertically spaced members connected with and projecting laterally of said bracket, a right angular support having one leg journalled vertically by said pair of members for horizontal pivoting movement of its other leg portion, said vertically journalled leg having a substantially square exterior surface, arm means between said members resiliently gripping opposing side surfaces of said vertical leg, said arm means comprising a pair of strap-like arms vertically disposed edgewise .and projecting, at their respective ends, beyond said square surface, said arms each having a rod-like end portion, a pair of sleeves secured to said bracket and journallingthe respective rodlike end of each said arm, the other end portions of said arms each having an aperture, a shaft having a threadedly connected nut at its respective ends, projecting through the apertures in said arms, a spring interposed between said nut and the adjacent surface of each said arm, and refuse container support means connected with the other leg of said right angular support.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which said container support means comprises a horizontally disposed loop adapted to surround and support a refuse container, said loop having a tongue telescopically receiving the end portion of the horizontally disposed leg of said right angular support.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2 in which said pair of members comprises a pair of horizontally disposed plates having vertically aligned apertures, a bolt secured to and projecting outwardly of one said plate, and a box-like housing surrounding said plates and supported by said bolt.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 885,460 4/1908 Felknor 248-131 1,170,030 2/1916 Wilcox 248-l 1,631,904 6/1927 Warmack 248- 2,067,983 1/1937 Rice 248-145 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner 

